


"Kiss Me, I'm Irish"

by dying_deist



Category: Muse
Genre: Alternate Universe, Banter, Christmas, Eventual Smut, Ireland, M/M, One Shot, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-25
Updated: 2013-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-06 02:16:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1101201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dying_deist/pseuds/dying_deist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Dom plans to go somewhere fancy for Christmas, but shit happens and he ends up in a small remote town where he gets to know Matthew (who is annoying at first).</i> Entry for snowpremacy 2013 based on <a href="http://thekeyholder.livejournal.com/">thekeyholder</a> prompt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"Kiss Me, I'm Irish"

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t own Muse and this is a work of fiction, never happened. The places mentioned here in this story exist for real and I don’t own them. No offence intended. 
> 
> So, this has been done and ready since last Thursday (here) and a MILLION thanks to Nat for having beta’d this before finishing her own. You’re such an angel! <3 I had so much fun (and good stress) writing this story! I found the prompt so good and kind of a challenge to me and I started working on it since the beginning of November.
> 
> Thank you very much [ilurvebelldom](http://ilurvebelldom.livejournal.com/) and [nuraicha](http://nuraicha.livejournal.com/) for plotting with me and putting up with my whining and [take_a_bow06](http://take-a-bow06.livejournal.com/) for helping me to organise a soundtrack for this story (you can check it [here](http://zetastation.livejournal.com/28013.html)).
> 
> Also, I apologize for my ignorance about Irish traditions and any other inaccuracy you’ll certainly find in the plot; I went through a lot of research (special thanks to Google and Google Street View lol) and tried my best to recreate an Irish scenario here, but of course it’s not 100% right.
> 
> So, Brigi, I hope I had not disappointed you! This is also sort of a belated birthday gift <3
> 
> Hope you all will enjoy this! And Merry Christmas guys! <3

“Ballybay?!” I asked the stewardess, confused, as soon as I heard the pilot announcing the flight’s destination. “We are going where?!”  
  
“Ballybay, sir,” she repeated with a trained smile on her face. I hate false smiles. I hate stewardess. They’re always smiling and being polite. Are they robots?! Can’t they be a bit more human? “We’ll be there at one thirty.”  
  
“What?! Aren’t we going to Dublin?!”  
  
“I’m sorry, sir. This is Airbus A319. Dublin’s flight is Airbus A391.” She faked a sad frown and stepped away from me.  
  
“Wait!” I undid the safety belt and stood up, hurrying to catch the woman.  
  
“Sir! Please, return to your seat! We’re in mid-air!”  
  
“I don’t give a shit! I’m not supposed to go to Bally-fucking-bay!” I groaned in annoyance. What the hell was happening?! “You must help me!”  
  
“Sir…” She sighed and turned on her heels. “Follow me, please.” I obeyed and she led me to a place with more stewardess. “Show me your ticket, please.” I put my hand into the front pocket of my trousers and took the ticket, handing it to the woman. She studied it thoroughly and frowned after a few seconds.  
  
“What?” I crossed my arms and shifted my weight to one leg.  
  
“Mr. Howard, I’m sorry. I don’t know what your plans were, but you bought a ticket to Ballybay instead.” She pointed to the paper, exactly where the destination was written. She was right, it was really written Ballybay…  
  
“Oh, fuck! Fuck, fuck!! Fuck, Emma!!!” I cursed, clenching my fists and recalled the moment when I bought the ticket.  
  
Well, actually it was Emma, my big sister, who bought them.  
  
She’s a weird woman, she liked to spend the whole day admiring landscapes, nature and shit like that. For fuck’s sake! How can a 25 years old woman like to do such things?! Can’t she realize how much she’s losing? I mean, we always lived in big cities, megalopolis, full of skyscrapers, boulevards filled with tons of cars and people walking, running, or whatever.  
  
How can Emma like to be close to dirty plants, wild animals? There’s mud and insects everywhere she likes! Why can’t she be a normal person and stay in the city? And it’s so much better and comfortable! You don’t need to walk too much because you can always call a taxi; but somehow she prefers to ride a horse, a bicycle or just use her feet to go somewhere.  
  
I can’t understand a person like her.  
  
Worse! She’s a vegan and avoids any sort of cosmetics! How can someone live without body lotions, perfume?  
  
Sometimes I wonder if she’s really my sister. We’re so different…  
  
And it’s her bloody fault if I took the wrong flight! I told her I wanted to go to Dublin because my classmates would be there too. You know, classes were over and I decided to spend the Christmas with my friends. I remember she was in a hurry, mumbling some crap about Ballybay, that she needed to visit there because of the fishing competitions. Not that she was going to join it, but she was determined to intervene the event. Emma is against any kind of killing. She’s paranoid!  
  
Oh, man! I was fucking sure she had mistaken the destinations when she was buying the tickets!!! And she hadn’t even checked them to see if everything was alright! I hate her so much right now.  
  
“You have to put me in the right flight!” I required, sounding a bit harsh.  
  
“Sir, we can’t do anything. It wasn’t the company’s fault.”  
  
“But I don’t want to go to Ballybay! I don’t even know anyone there! And I’ve booked a room in a big hotel in Dublin, not Ballybay!”  
  
“As I told you, we can’t do anything. But I suggest you buy a new ticket as soon as we land.” She smiled again. “Please, come back to your seat, sir.”  
  
I can’t believe this is happening.  
  
  
***  
  
  
As soon as the plane landed, I ran to buy a ticket to Dublin, but to my misfortune, the seller told me there weren’t any free planes anymore.  
  
“What?! Are you saying the next flight will be only on December 25th?”  
  
“Unfortunately, yes, sir. Starting at noon.”  
  
“I’m fucked…” I sighed and felt the urge to bang my head on the wall. “Fine, I’ll buy one.” That was my only chance to get away from the middle of nowhere.  
  
It was already nighttime, almost 10 p.m. and I was sure Ballybay was that type of city where grumpy old people who go to sleep with the chickens live. Boring people.  
  
Unwilling, I walked through the empty streets, observing my surroundings and looking for some regular hotel to spend the night. Also, I tried to call Emma, but there wasn’t any mobile signal.  
  
Shit.  
  
It was all her fault… I’ll waste Christmas in some godforsaken place where I don’t know a damn soul.  
  
Still paying attention to where I was passing through, I noticed the lack of high buildings. No way! Where will I find a good place to sleep?! There’s _NO_ chance I’ll sleep on a single bed with thin mattress and old duvets, nor book a room without a bathtub, because, let’s be honest, I don’t deserve to shower while I could have a hot, relaxing bath. And let’s not talk about the pillows! It’ll be the same as if I was resting my head against a rock.  
  
After a few more minutes walking – and spoiling my new polished shoes with a mix of mud and snow from the street – I spotted a small bar; [The Gateway](https://www.google.com.br/maps/preview#%21data=%211m8%211m3%211d3%212d-6.90292%213d54.128718%212m2%211f96.38%212f76.31%214f75%212m9%211e1%212m4%211sIvIbZaHwa_I3wjyxfqm6-A%212e0%219m1%216sR162%215m2%211sIvIbZaHwa_I3wjyxfqm6-A%212e0&fid=5) was its name. It was a small yellowish establishment with windows, door and details in a reddish tone of dark brown. I decided to go there and ask for information and, of course, to ask something hot to drink. I was freezing, for fuck’s sake!  
  
When I entered the place I noticed how simplistic it was; peeling walls, old painting, wooden furniture and a small fireplace at the back of the room. There were a few men inside the bar, drinking and chatting; but what caught my attention was a young guy among all the drunk, old ones. He was brunet and was probably the barkeeper, judging by his position behind the counter, cleaning a glass with a tea towel.  
  
I observed, curious, the way he smiled at some of his customers once in a while, and noticed a wonky tooth. That was a funny detail about that good looking man. He couldn’t be too much older than me.  
  
He was quite… handsome.  
  
Carrying my bag and walking towards the counter, I discreetly fixed my hair – which, after all the stress and my long, tiring day, was much too messed – and smoothed my jacket, trying to get rid of the wrinkles on the fabric. “Uh, hi,” I said. The brunet, who was still cleaning the glasses, looked up and I noticed his piercing blue eyes.  
  
“Good evening, sir,” he greeted me, his lips twitching into a quick smile. “What would you like to drink?”  
  
“Something hot, of course. Can’t you see I’m freezing?!” I rolled my eyes, sighing and rubbing my hands together. Seriously? Was it possible that this guy was as stupid as he was cute?!  
  
I realized he had frowned at me, but I just shrugged that off. When he was about to say something, I felt a big, heavy hand land on my shoulder. I looked at the hand and then to its owner; a bearded man around forty years old. He was really drunk, judging by the red colour of his face, the silly smile on his lips and the strong smell of alcohol emanated by his big mouth. I wrinkled my nose, disgusted by his reckless appearance and smell, withdrawing my shoulder so I found myself free from his hand.  
  
“Matthew boy makesss the bessst Irisssh coffee eveeer!” the man said and burst out giggling; a strong Irish accent in his voice. I quirked my eyebrows and looked back at the barkeeper. Then I noticed a discrete label on the pocket of his jacket; it said Bellamy, M. I suppose the ‘M’ is for Matthew.  
  
“Thank you, Mr. O’Brien.” Matthew – I’ll call him that for now – nodded. “So.” He threw the tea towel over his shoulder, and it miraculously got onto the hook on the cupboard. “Would you like to try an [Irish coffee](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/follow-that-food/original-irish-coffee-recipe/index.html)?”  
  
“Yeah, whatever. If it’ll warm me, I’m fine with it.” I sat on the bar stool and waited for the guy to prepare said coffee. I saw him pouring whiskey into a glass, then he added black coffee, mixed in two spoonfuls of brown sugar and stirred for some time. At the end, he poured fresh cream onto it and handed me the glass. I took a deep breath, inhaling the coffee scent; it had a really good smell.  
  
“Enjoy.”  
  
I took a sip from the beverage and for the first time that evening I could feel my tense muscles relaxing a bit while I was drinking and feeling the good warmth going down my throat. “Not bad,” I admitted. “Well, do you know some good place I can find to spend the night in?”  
  
“Hm, our best one is definitely the [Killyliss House](https://www.google.com.br/maps/preview#%21data=%211m8%211m3%211d3%212d-6.997904%213d54.085248%212m2%211f42.86%212f82.77%214f75%212m9%211e1%212m4%211s9E4DNK87MLHroh0g8gtmhg%212e0%219m1%216s%C2%A9+2013+Google%215m2%211s9E4DNK87MLHroh0g8gtmhg%212e0&fid=5) , but I’ve heard they don’t have free rooms anymore. You know, it’s Christmas time.” Matthew scratched his chin. “Actually, I think there won’t be any free hotel around… Not until December 26th. But you can always try an inn.”  
  
“What? There’s no fucking way I’ll sleep in an inn!” I snorted and shook my head. Matthew frowned. “Listen, money is not a problem to me, okay? So, I already know there’s not any real good place around, but I’ll try this Killyliss House.”  
  
“They don’t have free rooms,” he said in a firm tone.  
  
“Who said? And I told you money is not a problem, so I’m sure they can find an empty room if they’re clever enough. But maybe they’re so stupid that won’t realize my offer.”  
  
“What the hell are you trying to do?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Get them to kick someone out? At Christmas?”  
  
“You got me.” I rolled my eyes and put the money for the coffee on the counter. “Keep the change, hick.” I winked, grabbed my bag and walked towards the exit.  
  
“What?!” I heard him asking, outraged, and when I was about the leave, I felt him tugging on my jacket so I turned to face him. I found Matthew frowning deeply with anger in his eyes. “Who the fuck do you think you are to come into my place and talk crap about my city and its people? Also, we’re not hicks and even if we were, what the fuck do you have to do with it?! You don’t fucking know us so stop talking bullshit! Get out of here right now, and don’t come back! And I don’t need your fucking money.” He threw the money on the street and pushed me out of the bar, closing the door behind me.  
  
I was, technically, kicked out of somewhere. That had never happened to me before! “No one kicks me out of nowhere!” I shouted at the door and stepped away, collecting the money from the ground.

  
***

  
Damn it! I went to all the hotels in Ballybay, but there were no vacancies! And, as I’ve learned, they didn’t accept my money to organise a free room for me. Worst thing was that it had begun to snow. I caught sight of a bar, not so far from where I was, and ran in its direction. I could at least escape from the blizzard.  
  
I sighed deeply in relief as soon as I was inside the place, but when I looked around, I felt the urge to scream. How could I not have recognized it?! “No fucking way!” I muttered to myself when I spotted the brunet staring at me, furiously, from behind the counter.  
  
“What the fuck are you doing here? I’ve thought I had told you not to come back again.”  
  
There was no one left in the bar, he was probably about to close the place. “I didn’t mean to come back,” I said, honestly. “But there’s a blizzard outside and I don’t want to freeze to death!”  
  
“I’d pay to see that happening.” Matthew narrowed his eyes, smirking. How dare he?! “Look at the poor city child!” He was cheeky enough to say that in a mocking tone, pouting and chuckling at the end. I felt my blood boiling. That stupid hick… I wanted to jump on him and strangle him!  
  
How the hell did I feel a tiny little bit attracted to him earlier?!  
  
“I’m serious! I didn’t find anywhere to go. I don’t know what to do!”  
  
“I might know somewhere you can spend the night,” he said, scratching his chin.  
  
“Where?!” I widened my eyes and, certainly, they were shining with hope.  
  
“There’s this nice barn not so far from here,” Matthew said, shrugging. “I’ll drive you there, if you like.” He tried, but he was not able to hide the mischievous smile on his silly face. “They say that the horses there are docile and a great company in cold nights.” His giggle was hurting my ears. Oh, I hate him so damn much!  
  
“What?! No way! I won’t sleep with horses!” I couldn’t help the high pitched voice I suddenly had at that moment.  
  
“The barn is not fancy enough for you? So you’ll have to freeze outside because you won’t stay here. I’m closing.” Matthew walked out from behind the counter, taking his keys and coat and headed for the door.  
  
He put his hand on the doorknob and when he was about to turn it, I shouted, “Wait!” Matthew stopped and looked at me. “T-this barn… There is a house there, right? The owners of that place would accept me, maybe?” I sighed, feeling humiliated for asking for something like that.  
  
“Probably. Who knows?”  
  
“Uh, do they at least have a double bed and a bathtub?”  
  
“What?!” he squeaked, arching his eyebrows. “Oh, please!” Rolling his eyes, he snorted and shook his head. “You know what? You’re a pain in the arse, for fuck’s sake! Not even the horses deserve your company.”  
  
“What?!”  
  
“Mummy’s boy wants a warm double bed during the night and a thick duvet to avoid the cold!” he mocked. “Mummy’s boy wants a bathtub just to play with the bubbles and his little duck.”  
  
“Stop it! It’s not funny!” I barked, annoyed. “Shut up! I don’t even care if I’ll sleep with horses; just tell me a place to spend the night.” I hadn’t thought at that moment how desperate I was sounding. “Please!” What a shame! Dominic Howard never begs.  
  
Matthew just kept staring at me for a long time, but then he shook his head and sighed loudly before putting on his coat. “Shut up and come with me.” He opened the door and the cold wind assaulted us.

  
***

  
“Where are we?” I asked, curious, when he turned off the engine. We were on a street with many small houses.  
  
“See that [house with a red door](https://www.google.com.br/maps/preview#%21data=%211m8%211m3%211d3%212d-6.896199%213d54.124154%212m2%211f213.15%212f81.98%214f75%212m9%211e1%212m4%211s6dLCbnheme-YiiQ_T74MZA%212e0%219m1%216sLoch+Mor+Avenue%215m2%211s6dLCbnheme-YiiQ_T74MZA%212e0&fid=5)?” he asked while undoing his safety belt.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“That’s mine.” He jumped out of his car and ran to said door, opening it before the blizzard got worse. I was still inside the car and saw Matthew waving to me.  
  
“I can’t believe it…” I rubbed my brow before going to his house. When we were inside it, I brushed the snow off my clothes and hair, using this time to take a look around. Matthew had a simplistic house without any of the fancy things I was used to. A worn checkered couch was in the middle of the living room, facing an unlit fireplace and surrounded by simple wooden furniture.  
  
“What? Not your cup of tea?” he asked, impatient.  
  
“Definitely not. But it’s just for one night. I suppose I won’t die.” I hoped so.  
  
“You’re ruthless and ungrateful!”  
  
“And you’re so grumpy, for fuck’s sake!”  
  
“Why did I bring him here?!” He threw his hands up and looked up, as if he was talking to god or something.  
  
“Can you please show me my room? I’m dead tired if you haven’t noticed yet.”  
  
“Your room?” Matthew laughed and I looked at him, confused.  
  
“Why are you laughing?”  
  
“This,” he patted on the arm of the couch. “is your ‘room’.”  
  
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”  
  
“Nope.” He started walking towards the stairs and I followed him.  
  
“Where are you going?! I can’t sleep on the couch; it’ll fuck up my back!”  
  
“I’m sure you’ll survive.” I heard him chuckling while opening the door of which I presumed was his bedroom. He closed the door in my face and I started banging on it.  
  
“Oi! Are you serious?!” He came back a few moments later, holding a duvet and a pillow and pressed them in my arms. “What’s that?”  
  
“Do you know how to light up a fireplace?” Matthew suddenly asked and I nodded. “So I hope you’ll enjoy your stay.” He smirked before closing the door again. This time I heard him locking it.  
  
“This can’t be happening,” I sighed.

 

***

 

I woke up the next morning with my back and arms aching. When I opened my eyes, I found myself alone in the living room of Matthew’s house. I cursed, realising that the previous events from the last night were not a nightmare as I thought they were… Everything was real. I really was stuck somewhere where I didn’t know a thing.  
  
Tossing the duvet aside, I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Everything was quiet. I got up and walked to the closest window, cleaning the blurry glass with my sleeve, and took a look outside. The whole street was white, full of snow, with only two dark paths along the way – obviously made to allow the cars to pass. I noticed Matthew’s car was not parked anymore; I wondered where he had gone.  
  
I stretched, yawning, and searched for a bathrobe and clean clothes inside my bag. I quickly investigated around his house, looking for the bathroom, but I realised there were just the living room and the kitchen downstairs. I sighed, bored, and headed upstairs; there were two rooms, Matthew’s and another one, locked. Mumbling, I had to try his room; it was unlocked and I entered it.  
  
Like the rest of his house, his room was simplistic; a double bed, a wardrobe, a desk with a phone and tons of papers dispersed over it and a small bookstand beside that.  
  
I grabbed the phone and dialled Emma’s number. Fortunately, there was signal even after the blizzard last night.  
  
She didn’t take long to pick up the call. “Hello?”  
  
“I will chase you and I’ll hurt you.” I said through gritted teeth, in a low, threatening tone.  
  
“W-who are you?!” Emma asked, nervous.  
  
“Do you know Dominic James Howard? He’s dead to you!”  
  
“Dom…? Is that you?”  
  
“Of course it’s me!”  
  
“For god’s sake, Dommy! You scared the hell out of me! That was not funny!” I heard her sighing loud.  
  
“Don’t call me ‘Dommy’! I’m mad at you! You fucked up my holidays!”  
  
“Me?! Why me?! Do you think I’m happy here in Dublin?! I was supposed to intervene a murder right now and I took the wrong flight!”  
  
“Oh, please! They are just fishes, Emma!” I growled, rolling my eyes. How can she be so stupid?! Emma, the Animals’ Saviour. “You bought the wrong tickets! Now I’m stuck with those hicks and it’s your bloody fault!” I shouted.  
  
“They’re not hicks, they’re good people! You are a tremendous city bastard, so disrespectful.”  
  
“Shut up!”  
  
“Why did you call me, after all? To threaten me?”  
  
“I just want to get away from here, but the next flight will be only tomorrow. I’m bored like hell.”  
  
“I hope you’ll take a lesson from what happened. Where are you now?”  
  
“I’m in the house of some guy from a bar.” I shrugged, not even realizing how careless I have sounded.  
  
“You what?!” She squeaked. “Did you sleep with a random guy you don’t even know?! Where’s your honour?!” Emma sounded disgusted.  
  
“No, you idiot! I didn’t sleep with anyone! He’s just an annoying guy I met here. He owns a bar and took me to his place. I slept on his fucking couch.”  
  
“Still. You must be more careful! He can be a maniac!”  
  
“C’mon! It’s not like I’ll get pregnant from him!” I scoffed.  
  
“Just be careful, okay? And use protection.”  
  
“Don’t mother me. I’m a grown up, you know? And I’m not interested in him; he’s the most boring guy I’ve ever met.”  
  
“If you say so…” She kept silence for a few seconds before talking again. “I don’t know when I’ll see you again, so… Merry Christmas to you.” And she hung up.  
  
I stared at the phone in my hand and whispered, “Merry Christmas to you too.” before placing it again onto the desk.  
  
I looked around, caught sight of a wooden door next to the wardrobe, and went there; that was the bathroom.  
  
Simplistic, once again, but at least he had a bathtub, thank god. I turned on the hot tap and cupped my hands, letting the water fill them before splashing the water on my face. I waited a bit more and, when the tub filled enough to submerge my legs, I stepped into the hot water and sighed in relief, feeling my muscles relaxing under that warmth.  
  
Resting my head on the rim of the tub, I looked at the ceiling and tried to clear my mind. I scanned the whole bathroom and spotted bath salts over the sink. I blinked a few times and decided to get up to take the container; drops of water running down my body to puddle on the floor.  
  
I poured the salts in the water and rested my back against the wall of the tub. “Even the hick can have his fancy things now and then.” I chuckled to myself, remembering how mad he got at me while whining about my fancy habits.  
  
It’s not like I’m a city bastard, as Emma made sure to state; I just have better taste than people like her and Matthew do.  
  
The hot water was doing wonders to my body and I started to feel the tension going away. I took a deep breath and lifted one hand to my neck, rubbing it and then my chest; observing the droplets slipping down my skin.  
  
I lingered on the bath for a few minutes until my pleasant activity was interrupted by loud bangs on the bathroom door. I looked at it, jumpy, widening my eyes and holding to the edges of the tub.  
  
“Oi!” I heard a male voice shouting from Matthew’s room. “What are you doing there?!”  
  
“M-Matthew? Is that you?!” What if Emma was right?! I was not careful enough and now I just found out my host is a maniac!  
  
“Obviously!” he growled and kept banging on the door.  
  
“Stop it, man! I’m trying to take a bath, for fuck’s sake!” What was his problem?!  
  
“Are you using my tub?!” Matthew squeaked.  
  
“Yeah...?”  
  
“Get the hell outta there, now!” I watched in shock when he opened the door, striding towards me with a frown in his face.  
  
I didn’t dare to move myself; I just, open-mouthed, saw him grabbing the towel I had left on the hook next the door and throwing it onto my face. Matthew approached the tub and I tensed when I noticed him leaning forward, guiding one of his hands in the faucet direction, turning it off. I pulled my legs up in a defensive move, embracing them and feeling my face burning; I was not able to stare at him for a long time, so I just looked away.  
  
“I didn’t give you permission to use the tub,” he said in a stern tone. “I don’t have enough money to pay for all the water you’re spending just to sustain your whims.” Without looking at him, I nodded. “Use the shower.” Matthew walked away, leaving the bathroom.  
  
I exhaled loud when he shut the door.

  
***

  
After the bathroom incident, I felt uncomfortable whenever Matthew was around. I was ashamed and a bit scared; I didn’t imagine he would react that way. If he didn’t want me to use his tub, he could just warn me. I think he overreacted.  
  
And, oh gosh, he saw me naked! Even if he had thrown me a towel, I still think he was able to see something! I couldn’t help blushing when he was around.  
  
Maybe the most uncomfortable time was when we had breakfast. As soon as I finished getting dressed, I went downstairs and found Matthew in the kitchen, preparing some coffee. I froze at the doorway because I didn’t know whether to stay and have some food or leave once and for all and find another place to spend my nights before my flight.  
  
However, I was not fast enough and Matthew noticed my presence. I held my breath when he glanced at me, two mugs in his hands. “I made breakfast,” he said and placed one of the mugs in the other end of the table before taking a seat. I just stood still in the doorway. “Aren’t you hungry?” He took a sip of his coffee.  
  
I heard my stomach growling and saw Matthew quirking an eyebrow. I sighed and sat on the opposite side where he had placed the other mug. Over the table, there were a little basket with croissants and brioche, a plate with slices of toasts, another one with carrot and Guinness porter cake. Also, there was a jug of orange juice and two clean glasses beside it.  
  
Musing about what I would like to eat, I found Matthew staring at me again. “What?” I asked.  
  
“I know it’s not the richest breakfast you’ve ever had, but it’s all I could afford, okay? So you’d better not complain.”  
  
“I was not going to complain.” I picked a croissant and munched on it. “It’s quite good, you know?”  
  
We kept eating without saying a word, until Matthew break the silence. “What’s your name?”  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“I don’t know your name yet.” He said, pouring juice into his glass.  
  
“Oh, I’m Dominic Howard.” Right, we had not introduced ourselves yet.  
  
“I’m Matthew Bellamy, but you already know it.”  
  
“Yeah, I read the label on your shirt yesterday.”  
  
“How did you end up here in Ballybay? For all that I’ve noticed, you’re not pleased here, so why would you like to come to a place you obviously don’t like?”  
  
“Well, this is a long, sad story…” I sighed.  
  
“I have time enough.”  
  
So I told him everything that have happened so far; about Emma buying wrong tickets and my original plans for Christmas. Matthew listened to me, visibly bored most of the time, but I just shrugged. He certainly still thought I was a ‘city child’, but what could I do? He can think whatever he wants to think, I couldn’t care less. I’m not trying to impress him after all.  
  
“You’re British, huh?” he asked and I nodded. “I am, too.”  
  
“Oh, I was about to ask you where you are from since I haven’t noticed any Irish accent.”  
  
“Yes, I’m from Cambridge and moved out here seven years ago with my parents and siblings.”  
  
“Do they live here too?”  
  
“Not in my house, of course, but near here. They went to spend Christmas in Cambridge.”  
  
“Why you didn’t go with them?” I asked, curious.  
  
“Two reasons. First, I didn’t want to close the bar; we can always make more money during Christmas time.” He chuckled. “And second, I love Ballybay. It’s so quiet here; all that I need. I can’t stand the big cities pollution and noises, traffic… It’s terrifying!”  
  
“I’m completely the opposite of you.” I smiled, gently, and Matthew mirrored me.  
  
Once again, I noticed his wonky tooth garnishing his smile. He looked quite cute…  
  
What the hell was I thinking?

  
***

  
The rest of the day was boring like hell. I had nothing to do but watch some telly, but there wasn’t anything good on air; I just surfed through the channels, watched a documentary about leopards’ reproduction and then switched to a culinary channel where they were showing [how to use brie in a mushroom soup](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mushroom-and-brie-soup-recipe/index.html).  
  
Matthew told me he was going to keep the bar open until late; it was Christmas Eve. I was surprised he left me alone in his house during the whole day, but I couldn’t resist the boredom and, when I looked through the window and saw that night had fallen, I decided to go out for a walk.  
  
It was cold, of course, chilling me to the bones, and my shoes were quickly soiled. I cursed, annoyed, and decided to go to Matthew’s bar, observing the decorated houses along the way with lighted candles in the windows.  
  
When I got there and entered the place, I watched, startled, as Matthew danced on the counter, holding a half-filled pint glass in each hand. Yes, he was dancing on the counter! Matthew Bellamy, the Grumpy Hick Dancer. He was laughing loudly, almost hysterically, hopping on one leg and then on the other, beer spilling from his glasses.  
  
Loud, happy music was playing in the bar, many people dancing some traditional dance and holding their beers. The music was being played by a few men next the fireplace; they had fiddles, flutes, pipes, accordions and concertinas. Giggles, happy laughs and conversations filled the place; women and men, all having great fun, linking their arms together and moving in circles, bumping into other pairs, but none of them worrying about that. They just laughed even louder.  
  
I suddenly found myself being pushed into the crowd by unknown people. A woman tried to link her arm with mine, but I was already too frightened by the overwhelming reception, so I stepped away, approaching the bar counter. I felt liquid dripping onto my hair and headed a hand to wipe it away, bringing it close to my nose and realizing it was beer. I wrinkled my nose and looked up; Matthew was still standing on the counter, holding one of his glasses above my head and smirking at me with a red face. He was visibly drunk.  
  
“Well, well! Look if it’s not Dominic, King of the City!” He burst out laughing and took long gulps from his drink, a thin line of beer tracing down his chin. Matthew sat down on the counter, swigging his legs as a child does. “I thought you were going to stay home. I was not expecting you to show up here.” He emptied one of his glasses and filled it again; there was a small beer barrel beside him. “Take it.” He offered me the glass.  
  
“No, thanks.” I shook my head.  
  
“Oh, please! Take it! It’s the best Irish beer!” He guided the glass to my lips and forced me to take a sip. I frowned and tried to move away, but he was insisting so much that I gave up. “Like it?” he asked.  
  
“Uh…” I took the glass from his hand and sipped more of the beverage. I’m accustomed to the taste of fine wine and champagne, but that beer was not bad! “Yes, maybe. A bit.”  
  
“Everyone likes it.” He smiled slyly, placing one hand on my shoulder.  
  
“What the hell is that?” I asked when I noticed the ‘Colin Morgan’s Evil Twin’ shirt he was wearing under his jacket.  
  
“Ah, I lost a bet and some chick made me wear it. This guy is apparently an actor or something, I don’t know.” Matthew giggled, tugging on the end of the shirt to look better at a male face printed on the fabric. I am usually curious, but I preferred not to ask him what the bet was.  
  
“I thought you were going to keep the bar, not to join the costumers,” I mocked before taking another sip of the beer.  
  
“Yeah, yeah. But my friend Christopher told me to have some fun. He doesn’t drink so he’ll stay here in my place.” He shrugged.  
  
“You sound like you don’t have fun very often,” I remarked, looking curiously at him and waiting for his answer.  
  
“Right. It’s true, I don’t.”  
  
“I can imagine that.” I leaned against the counter. It was not hard to understand him, I mean, of course I thought ‘what the hell? How can someone rather stay home than go out with friends, go shopping or to a cinema?’; but judging by what I’ve known of him so far, yeah, I got him.  
  
“But…” In one gulp, he finished the other beer, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “It’s Christmas! I can have fun tonight!” He got off the counter and brush off his trousers.  
  
“Well, it’s not Christmas yet, but-” I heard him growling before taking my hand and guiding me through the crowd to the middle of the bar. Remember, that place was not big enough for everyone inside it. “O-oi!” I tried to protest, withdrawing my hand.  
  
“C’mon, Dom! Shake those hips to me!” Matthew then… Smacked my right cheek and kept dragging me to the middle.  
  
“W-WHAT?!” I jolted, scared about his new behaviour. “D-don’t call me ‘Dom’!” I warned him.  
  
“Dom, Dommeh, Dommy, Dominic! Let’s dance!” It was the last comprehensible thing he said before linking his arm with mine and dancing to the contagious rhythm of the Irish music.  


***

 

“I can’t believe you threw the beer in the fireplace!” I said between laughs when we were walking back home, later that the night. Matthew’s house wasn’t far from his bar and a blizzard didn’t happen in the meanwhile, thankfully.  
  
“Yes, yes, yes! I did!” Guffawing, Matthew supported his weight on me, his arm wrapped around my shoulders and his head tilting next to mine. “Saw the flames?”  
  
“Of course!”  
  
“Exciting,” he whispered, smirking, looking up with half-lidded eyes.  
  
I swear I could feel my heart skipping a beat in that exact moment, but I was dead drunk – after all the beer I had drank at the bar while dancing – so I shouldn’t pay attention to that, that meant nothing. Right…?  
  
Soon we got to his house and, stumbling into the place, we made our way to the living room. Matthew lit up the fireplace and went to the kitchen without saying a word; I just pulled off my jacket, placing it onto the couch, and sat on the floor, next to the fireplace, enjoying the warmth.  
  
“Guess what I have in my hands!” Matthew spoke and I turned my head to face him. He was hiding his hands behind his back while walking towards me.  
  
“Hmm, I don’t know.” I looked at him, intrigued, as he lowered himself to sit beside me. He then gave me a bottle. “Wine?!” I’m sure my face lit up in that moment when I noticed that it really was wine.  
  
“I thought you would like to enjoy a finer drink.” Matthew winked and, with a corkscrew, he opened our bottles.  
  
“Thanks.” I smiled, blushing, before taking a long sip from the sweet wine. “Oh, dammit!”  
  
“What?” he asked and, when I glanced at him, I observed how his moist lips were glistening in the flickering light from the fire.  
  
I licked my own lips and blinked a few times before answering him. “It’s delicious…” My eyes never abandoned the sight of his mouth. His smile soon turned into a half smirk and I watched as he brought the mouth of the bottle to his lips, noticing how they wrapped around the rigid material.  
  
I suddenly felt hot, probably because of the fireplace. Right?  
  
“How old are you, Dominic?” Matthew asked, waking me up from my trance.  
  
I shook my head and cleared my throat. “I’m sorry?”  
  
“How old are you?”  
  
“Twenty-three. You?”  
  
“Twenty-two.” He swallowed more of the wine. “I was thinking… Have you ever played that ‘I’ve never’ game?”  
  
“Huh? No… What’s that?”  
  
“It’s so easy and we can have so much fun, especially if we’re as drunk as we are right now!” He laughed. “You say a statement like ‘I’ve never gotten a tattoo because I’ve lost a damn bet’ and if you has done it, you must drink; if you has not, don’t drink. Simple! Shall we?”  
  
“Hm, it sounds fun!”  
  
“Great! Go first.”  
  
“Hm, I’ll just repeat your example. I’ve never gotten a tattoo because I’ve lost a damn bet.” I smiled and waited his answer. Suddenly the smile Matthew had on his face faded away. “What?” I frowned and he took a sip from the wine. “W-what?! Are you kidding me?!” I laughed.  
  
“No.”  
  
“Show me.”  
  
“Nope.” He shook his head decidedly.  
  
“C’mon! I’d never thought you could be the kind of guy who gets tattoos!”  
  
“I’m not! But I’ve lost a bet last Christmas…”  
  
“Damn, man. You should stop betting, you always lose them.” I scoffed at him, but he just shrugged. “Where is it?”  
  
“I won’t tell you.”  
  
“Oh! Is it in some forbidden place?” I leaned forward, smirking, my face only a few inches from his.  
  
“Maybe…” Matthew hummed, the smile returning to his face. “Kinda.” But before I had time to keep inquiring him more details about his tattoo, he placed his forefinger softly over my lips, shushing me when I didn’t even have a chance to say a thing. “My turn.” I only nodded, still surprised at how delicate his finger felt pressed against my lips. “I’ve never played strip poker.”  
  
It was my turn to take a sip. “You should try someday, you know?” I said, winking at him. “Hm… I’ve never…”  
  
This way we got carried by our drunk mood, saying silly statements, until things start to heat up and questions became spicier, inappropriate. I think I’d never have revealed such juicy information if I was sober. We spent minutes and minutes playing that game and I didn’t even know how many bottles of wine Matthew had brought us.  
  
“I’ve never wanked.” Matthew stated and we both couldn’t hold our laughs, drinking our beverage at the same time.  
  
“Silly,” I chuckled, shaking my head.  
  
“I’ve never had sex with a girl.” What a stupid statement! I immediately swallowed more wine when he said that.  
  
Matthew didn’t drink.  
  
I arched an eyebrow and looked curiously at him. It couldn’t be true, could it? For god’s sake, he is a twenty-two years old guy, of course he has had sex before! It could only mean two things: or he was virgin or he was gay.  
  
And I was secretly wishing it was the second option.  
  
Still, he only stared at his bottle. “I’ve never had sex with a guy.” He took a sip.  
  
And so did I.  
  
We just locked eyes for a long moment, the tension increasing between us.  
  
We were by the fireplace; our bodies were pleasantly hot. The way he was looking at me said a million of things, but I couldn’t look away; quite the contrary, I wanted to make sure he was thinking what I was thinking. But suddenly the eye contact was broken when Matthew stood up, walking towards the kitchen, bringing his bottle with him.  
  
“Where are you going?” I followed him, drinking wine in the way to the kitchen when I bumped into Matthew. “Matthew?”  
  
“I’ve never thought I would meet a guy as hot as you.”  
  
This was his last statement before both of us finish our drinks, tossing them aside, staining the white carpet with a dark red tone from the droplets dripping out from the bottles. Then I found myself walking backwards while Matthew cupped my face and kissed me passionately, stopping only to giggle and when we tripped over the carpet, falling and laughing hard. I joined him, chuckling along with him and smiling against his lips while we rolled on the floor, our mouths never parting from each other’s.  
  
We rolled next to the fireplace until Matthew stayed on top of me, straddling my hips and placing his hands on both sides of my head. His face was so close to mine… I couldn’t help staring at his thin, kissable lips, where I could see a beautiful smile plastered on them. Now it was me who cupped his face and brought our mouths together.  
  
Matthew tasted like the sweetest of the wines and something more. Maybe it was just his natural taste. And I liked that, I wanted to explore his whole mouth and feel every corner of it. I kissed his lips, chin and neck, lingering on his prominent Adam’s Apple, mouthing and sucking on it until I felt when he moaned. Yes, felt, because the lowest of the notes echoed in his throat when his quiet moan filled the living room along with the crackling flames.  
  
Matthew sat up and reached for the collar of my shirt, grabbing it and pulling me up to sit, so this way he could undress me, throwing my jacket and shirt to god knows where. He pushed me down again and leaned his face down to purr in my ear, “Oh, Dominic… You’re making me so horny.” Caressing my chest, he nibbled on the tip of my ear and sucked on my earlobe, making me arch my back and groan.  
  
“Hm, look! The grumpy cat has balls on him,” I teased, chuckling.  
  
“Of course I have. Want to see?” Matthew straightened his posture and started unbuckling his belt, a vivid smirk on his face and pure lust in his eyes, licking his lips just to provoke me even more.  
  
I didn’t know he was talking seriously until the moment he began to rub himself against my crotch, making me feel his growing bulge. I gasped and, as soon as his black boxers were revealed when he unzipped his trousers, I held his hands, stopping him. “Wait, wait!” He looked at me, confused. “Do you have any condom and lube?” If we’re really going to do it, let’s do it right.  
  
Matthew snorted, smiling. “Obviously! I don’t live in the Middle Ages, you know?” He winked and got up from me, quickly going upstairs while I just stayed sprawled on the floor, panting hard and thinking about everything that was happening.  
  
Yesterday I knew nothing about Matthew and now we’re going to have sex. Okay, maybe we’re rushing things a bit and Emma had some reason after all when she said he’s a completely stranger to me.  
  
But maybe my unpredicted stay in Ballybay will be worth it in the end; it’s not as bad as I’ve thought it could be. And I’d never thought Matthew could act like this; not when he’s sober.  
  
Soon, Matthew returned and placed the condoms and tube of lube next the couch. He knelt in front of me and I propped on my elbows, watching him getting rid of his jacket and shirt, revealing the pale skin of his torso. I glanced at his angular hipbones and noticed the tip of a tattoo in the inner part, but the waistband of his boxers practically hid it all.  
  
We didn’t waste time and, in a few moments, we were completely naked, staring at each other, admiring, desiring. I observed when Matthew’s eyes scanned my whole body, stopping only when he caught sight of the main part of our play. “Oh my. Look at the big city boy.” He couldn’t help making that silly joke while chuckling.  
  
“Man, you’re so drunk.” I shook my head, leaning forward to kiss him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He moaned into my mouth and we parted to catch our breath, I rested my forehead against his, breathing sharply, my hand playing with the strands of hair in his nape. I looked down and smiled. “You’re not bad at all, either.” I kissed his lips one last time before pulling back to study better the tattoo in his right hipbone.  
  
I couldn’t help laughing when I read what was written there. “‘Kiss me, I’m Irish’?!” The words were surrounding a subtle shamrock. I rubbed that patch of drawn skin with my thumb and glanced up at Matthew, who was visibly shy, blushing, but not because of the alcohol. “You are not even Irish!”  
  
“Shut up. I told you I’ve lost a bet,” he mumbled. I chuckled and ducked my head to place a kiss where his tattoo was. “What are you doing?”  
  
“It says I must kiss you.”  
  
“Silly.”  
  
I shrugged and kept kissing his hipbones, sucking on the tips and lowering my head even further until I reach the real aim. “O-oi!” Matthew protested, quickly interlacing his fingers in my hair, trying to pull me away when I dragged my lips up and down his shaft. I ignored him and just continued my ministrations, licking and blowing on his head. “Oh, fuck!” He let out a quiet groan as I finally wrapped my mouth around his throbbing cock.  
  
Matthew tightened the grip on my hair, not being rude, though. He began to buck his hips gently in time with the rhythm of my head, making me take more of him into my mouth, both of us moaning in that moment. “Dominic…” he whispered and I hummed. “Stop, stop, please! I won’t last.” I abandoned his hardness and sat back, rubbing my neck. Honestly, that was not the best position to give a blow job, but I didn’t have any problem since Matthew soon interrupted that. Wiping his pre-cum off my mouth, I watched the way his chest went up and down because of his heavy breathing.  
  
The next thing I remember was Matthew pinning me down to the carpet, tracing my jawline with his tongue, then kissing my neck, sucking on my skin and probably leaving a hickey. Matthew rubbed his body against mine and we moaned when our cocks brushed against each other’s.  
  
Our kisses soon became sloppy and noisy, loud, being preceded by our pants and sighs. Once again, I groaned in frustration. “For god’s sake, Matthew! I can’t anymore, just fuck me already,” I said when we parted to breathe.  
  
He then nibbled on my bottom lip, avidly, pulling it between his teeth before sucking on it. “So ready to meet the Irish boy?” he teased, smirking.  
  
“The non-Irish boy, you mean,” I chuckled and kissed the tip of his nose. Matthew looked at me, startled, the blaze from the fireplace making his ocean blue eyes sparkle in the dim light.  
  
“Wait here,” he whispered, placing a last kiss to my ear and crawling down my body. I leant up on my elbows and saw Matthew rolling the condom on his hardness.  
  
It’s time, isn’t it?  
  
When I saw Matthew grabbing the lube, I slowly parted my legs for him and waited for him to approach me. He coated his fingers with the fluid and placed himself between my legs, using his free hand to stroke my thighs delicately. He glanced at me, waiting for my consent before circling my entrance with a finger, pushing the tip inside, making me arch my back and eliciting a filthy moan from me.  
  
Even if he was drunk, Matthew knew what he was doing, so he lingered there, preparing my body for him. “I think it’s enough. C’mon, I want to feel you…” I purred, grabbing his wrist and pulling him into a long, deep kiss.  
  
“Are you sure? You’re drunk, you know?” He giggled and I lightly slapped his backside.  
  
“Don’t kill the mood, please.”  
  
“Sorry.” He smiled softly and looked at me one last time.  
  
“Just do it.”  
  
I threw my head back as I felt him finally filling me, pushing in slowly. Matthew began kissing along my collarbone while thrusting, carefully, as I embraced his waist with my legs, pushing him even deeper, my insides clenching around him.  
  
I wrapped my arms around his neck and tilted my head to one side, invitingly, giving him complete access to my skin in that area. Then I found myself moaning loud as soon as Matthew increased the pace, his thrusts getting deeper and deeper, moving my body further towards the lit fireplace.  
  
Actually, I couldn’t see the fireplace, but I knew I was getting closer to that when I felt my head heating up more and more.  
  
“Matt…hew…” I gasped. “Matthew…” Sliding my hands up and down his back, I called him; hot breath letting out my open mouth. He only dragged his lips down my chest, taking one of my nipples, nibbling and sucking on it. “Oh, Matthew!” I dug my nails in his back, tracing them down until I touch the small of his back. “Stop…” I whispered when I realized my head was dangerously close to the fireplace. “Stop… Matthew…”  
  
“Why?” He looked up, panting hard, kissing my chin.  
  
“My… head…”  
  
“Huh?” Matthew guided one of his hands between our bodies and grasped my cock, his thumb brushing against the head.  
  
“No!” I cried out, arching my back. I was already close, really close. “Not that one!”  
  
“Oh.” He finally understood what I was trying to say when he looked before us. I could even see the shade of orange dancing on his face. “Sorry.” Smiling, he slowed down, allowing me to move my body a bit far from the fireplace, but without separating from him.  
  
“Shall we?” I chuckled, waiting for Matthew to resume what he had stopped. He only smiled at me and obeyed.  
  
But we didn’t last so long; this time my head hit the lower part of the couch as both of us were assaulted by a jolt of electricity, riding out our orgasms. One of the best I’ve ever had. Matthew collapsed on top of me, his head resting in the crook of my neck. I caressed his damp strands of hair with one hand while stroking his sweaty, glistening back with the other one.  
  
Our heavy breaths were perfectly audible while our lungs were fighting to catch some air, but as soon they came back to normal. Matthew and I just stayed lying on the floor, by the fireplace, enjoying the warmth both from the flames next to us and from our own bodies.  
  
The last thing I remember before falling asleep was Matthew grabbing the tip of the duvet from the couch to cover our bareness. The same duvet I used in the previous night when I slept in the living room.

  
***

  
I woke up feeling hot and realised I was sweating when I rubbed my brow. How could I be sweating in midwinter? I sat up and looked to my side; the fireplace was still alight and I had slept really close to it. I stretched, yawning, and remembered what have happened last night.  
  
Dominic and I.  
  
Dominic… I glanced to my other side, but I didn’t find him. I frowned, got up and collected my clothes that were sprawled on the floor and couch. I put on my boxers and trousers before looking for him in every room downstairs.  
  
He was gone.  
  
I won’t lie, I really feel guilty and disappointed with myself for being so stupid and have sex with a stranger. I should’ve known he was this kind of guy. What the hell was I thinking? I won’t drink alcohol never more, not if there’s some attractive man around.  
  
I’m an idiot, dammit!  
  
Sighing, I scratched the back of my neck and went upstairs to take a shower and try to chill out. But when I was about to put my hand on the doorknob, the door was open.  
  
I found Dominic drying his hair with a towel and blushing when we locked eyes.  
  
“You…” I whispered with widened eyes, feeling my own face heating up.  
  
“Uh, g-good morning.” He blinked and stopped drying his hair.  
  
An awkward silence fell in the room and we just stared at each other for a long time before Dominic break the silence, clearing his throat. “I-I thought of making the breakfast, but you are out of eggs and I only know how to prepare eggs and bacon.”  
  
“O-oh… Uh, it’s okay.” I crossed my arms over my chest realizing I had not put on any shirt yet. It was cold and Dominic was looking at me.  
  
We were so silly, blushing like little schoolgirls.  
  
After a few attempts of conversation, Dominic decided to wait for me downstairs while I went to take my shower.

  
***

  
“You know what?” I asked, still munching on my croissant. Dominic looked at me over the rim of his coffee mug, arching his eyebrows. “We could have died.”  
  
“What?” he snorted, almost choking on his coffee.  
  
“We could have died, I said. One of us could have rolled towards the fire or the duvet could have caught fire.” I shrugged and Dominic only chuckled.  
  
“Yes, maybe you’re right.” He took a sip of his beverage. “But nothing happened and we’re still alive.”  
  
I nodded and kept a comfortable silence during the time we were finishing our breakfast. “When are you leaving…?” I asked, not looking into his eyes.  
  
“After lunch.” I swear he sounded sad.  
  
“I see.” I got up from the chair and collected the dishes, carrying them to the sink.

 

***

  
  
“So, I have not told you yet, but…” I started as I handed Dominic his bag. I had driven him to the airport and his flight was about to take off. He stared at me, his hand already on the bag strap. “Merry Christmas, Dominic.” His face lit up and he grinned like a fool, his cheeks quickly adopting a pinkish tone.  
  
“Merry Christmas, Matthew.” He stepped forward and hugged me tightly. “I hope you’ll also have a happy new year.”  
  
“Thanks, you too.” I smiled.  
  
“Well…” He moved away, glancing at his wristwatch. “I think it’s time to go.” I could hear something like sadness in his voice and suddenly I felt a lump in my throat, but I just nodded.  
  
“Yeah. Take care.” I patted his shoulder. Dominic’s frown deepened; he looked really reluctant.  
  
“You too… Bye.”  
  
He waved at me.  
  
He was gone for real.

  
  
***  


I came back home feeling strangely upset and melancholic. I sighed, taking off my coat, tossing it onto the couch and went to my bedroom, throwing myself onto the soft mattress.  
  
But I felt something under my cheek when my face hit the pillow. I looked down and found a piece of paper.

  
  
**_Have you ever been in Dublin during New Year?_ **   
**_Dominic._ **   


  
And his phone number was right below his short question.  
  
I could feel the muscles in my face aching when I grinned the largest of the grins. Suddenly the sadness that had knocked me down disappeared and I could only feel like the luckiest guy in the world.  
  
I grabbed my mobile and typed a message.  


  
_**Sure, and my friend Christopher can keep the bar in my place during New Year. Also, I know this place where we can watch the fireworks. It’s beautiful.** _   
_**Matthew.** _

  
  
I hit ‘send’. Dominic would see that as soon as his plane landed.  


***

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. For all that I've researched, Ballybay doesn't have an airport, but this is an AU fanfiction and won't kill our happiness xD  
> 2\. Matt's tattoo was based on [this picture](http://blog.ivywise.com/Portals/112958/images/St.%20Patrick%27s%20Day%20Bog.jpg), but you can imagine it prettier :D


End file.
